Dinaric Rally 2026: No Service Tonight as Marathon Rules Kick In

Parc fermé filled slowly through the afternoon as riders returned from Stage 1. By evening, most of the field was in.

For most of the day, the feedback from riders was positive. The opening section was fast, the weather held and the stage had a natural flow. Riders described a varied route rather than one type of terrain: forest, rocky sections, open grassland and mountain terrain all featured, and the character of the stage was still changing even after 300 kilometres. The views from the higher sections drew plenty of comment, though there wasn’t much time to stop and look.

The roadbook also got good reviews. After the navigation mistakes that caught out a number of riders on Sunday’s Prologue, Stage 1 was generally described as precise and clear. CAP navigation kept riders working throughout, and the final section became faster and more complex, described by some as a high-speed maze. Five neutralisation zones broke up the 385-kilometre selective section and gave riders short chances to reset.

Normally, this is when mechanics go from bike to bike and fix whatever the day broke. Not tonight.

Krbava is the first half of the marathon stage, which means there is no normal outside service until Lapac is finished tomorrow. Whatever needs doing tonight, the usual mechanics are not there to do it.

For the 15 Malle Moto riders, none of this is new. They ride without outside assistance throughout the rally. For everybody else, tonight is their taste of it.

Riders already know what needs attention: a loose bolt, a worn chain, a noise that wasn’t there this morning. Tomorrow, those same bikes have to go again.

Stage times are coming through, but the marathon classification is not final tonight. Results and protests are dealt with after tomorrow’s second part is completed.

Tomorrow is Lapac, the second half of the marathon and the stage that takes riders to 1,855 metres, the highest point of this year’s rally.